Draft-regulator for locomotives



(No Model.)V r 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J.` PREW. DRAFT REGULATOR FORLOGOMOTIVES.

N0. 579,389. Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. FREW. DRAFT REGULATOR FOR LouoMoTIVRs. No. 579,389.

Patented Mar. 23

Jivrrnn raras Parana? Crimen,

JAMES FREV, OF CHIPPEWA FALLS, WISCONSIN.

DRAFT-REG U LATCH FO R LOC@ OTIVES.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,389, dated March23, 1897. Application filed March 18, 1896. Serial No. 583,759. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES FREW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chippewa Falls, in the county of Chippewa and State oflVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Draft-Regulator forLocomotive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved draftregulating and cinder-removing`device for use in connection with locomotive-engines, the sameconsisting in a combination and arrangement of parts whereby air may beadmitted to the smoke-chamber of the locomotive below the plane of thescreen or netting, which is employed for retaining the sparks orparticles of unburned fuel, said draft-regulating device being used inconnection with the ordinary means for discharg-ing exhauststeanithrough the smoke-stack for promoting a draft, to provide such arelative arrangement of parts as to facilitate the removal of cindersfrom the screen or netting, and, furthermore, to provide means forpreventing the chilling of the front boiler-sheet and the contiguousportions of the fines.

Further objects and advantages of lthis invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of a portion of alocomotive, showing draft-regulating and einder-discharging devicesconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial sideView to show the gate and means for operating the same. Fig. 3 shows aslightly-modified form of gate and means for communicating motionthereto from the cab.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

l designates a smoke-chamber which, as in the ordinary construction, isformed by a forward extension of the boiler, the stack 2 communicatingwith said chamber, and a steamexhaust nozzle 3 being arranged todischarge coaxially with the stack.

The wire screen or netting -l is arranged horizontally in thesmoke-chamber below the plane of the upper extremity of theexhaustnozzle instead of in the smoke-stack, as in the ordinaryconstruction, and arranged below the plane of this screen is a lateralport 5, formed in the side of the chamber and fitted with acontrolling-gate 6, adapted to be opened more or less to allow a greateror less influx of air to the smoke-chamber. The usual cinder-receptacle7 is formed in the bottom of the smoke-chamber for the reception ofcinders which are too large to pass through the screen, said receptaclebeing arranged below the plane of the port 5, whereby in case ofaccumula-ted cindcrs becoming heated sufficiently to ignite the port maybe opened to cool them below the point of ignition, and thus fire,4which is common in the ordinary forms of smoke-chambers, such fire'resulting iu injury to side sheets and the front portion of thesmoke-arch, is prevented.

Arranged in front of the exhaust-nozzle and in rear of the lateral port5 is a forwardly and downwardly inclined deflector 8, which thusprotects the nozzle and the front boilersheet and contiguous portions ofthe boilerlines from cold air admitted through the'port, and at the sametime causes the draft admitted through the port to pass upwardly throughthe screen 4, whereby when small cinders have accumulated upon the uppersurface of the screen and tend'to interfere with the draft they may beblown out or discharged through the stack by opening the port. ln thedrawings I have shown no means for discharging the contents of thecinder-receptacle 7 ,itbeing understood that any of the ordinary devicesemployed for this purpose may be applied. Hence it will be seen that theforce of the draft through the stack, caused by the eX- haust throughthe nozzle 3, may be reduced more or less, according to the extent ofopening of the port 5, in order to prevent excessive draft in startingthe engine or in ascending grades, and in descending grades or when thelocomotive is at rest the opening of the port 5 will prevent theproduction of draft, and hence will reduce the generation of steam toavoid the waste of fuel.

Various means maybe employed for operating the gate from the cab of theengine, the means shown in the drawings consisting of a rod 9, providedat its rear end with a notched shank 10 and a handle ll, the notchedshank being adapted to engage with a suitable pro- IOO jection or stud12 contiguous to the cab. In Fig. 3 I have shown a slightly-modifiedforni of gate and operating means consisting of a wing 13, fixed to arock-shaft 14, the rockshaft being mounted in bearings 15, arranged uponthe exterior surface of the boiler extension and being fitted at itsrear end with an operating-lever 16, which is disposed to engage theteeth of a segmental rack 17.

It will be seen that in both of the devices whichI have illustrated foroperating the gate means are provided for securing the gate in anydesired position to cause more or less exposure of the port, whereby thedraft of the engine may be positively controlled to suit the load andthe conditions under which the locomotive is operating.

A further advantage of the improved construction resides in the factthat it prevents the escape of sparks or incandescent fuel, and henceavoids the danger of res occasionally started from this cause.Furthermore, inasmuch as the defiector is arranged in advance of theexhaust-nozzle and extends be'- low the plane of the inlet-port, thelatter being disposed below the plane of the screen, the draft admittedby the port is prevented from passing under the deflector and thusforcing vthe products of combustion backl into the flues and at the sametime cooling the nozzle. The deflector causes all of the air admitted topass upwardly through the screen, and thus remove cinders therefrom toprevent accumulation and obstruction. Furthermore, the deflector isarranged at such an inclination and in such a position with relation tothe stack--namely, with its upper edge contiguous to and in front of theplane of the nozzle-that the angle of refiection of air entering throughthe opening 5 throws it directly into the sack, and thus still furtheradds to the efficiency of the device by preventing any portion of theair from passing downwardly beneath the lower edge of the defiector andthereby chilling the parts in rear thereof. In other words, the plane ofthe deiiector, if' extended, would pass within the stack. Thus the mouthor lower end of the stack is in a common plane with the defiector.

Various changesin the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this in- Vention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- The combination of thesmoke-box of a locomotive-boiler formed in one side intermediate its topand bottom with a valve-controlled air-inlet opening, and in its bottoniportion with a cinder trap or receptacle, the steam-exhaust nozzleextending upwardly within the smoke-box and adjacent to the frontfiue-sheet of the boiler, a detlector 8 extended from said frontflue-sheet of the boiler and arranged in advance of the nozzle and at aninclination, said deflector being set at a slight angle to a verticalplane so as to lie in a plane intersecting both the stack and the cindertrap or receptacle, whereby large cinders are deflected downwardly intothe trap or receptacle, and whereby air entering the side inlet-openingis refiected upward into the stack, and a horizontal intercepting screenextending from the upper end of the inclined portion of the deflector tothe front end of the smoke-box and disposed in a plane above the sideair-inlet opening, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES FREWV.

Witnesses:

I. A. ANDERSON, M. ENNATINGER.

